Hikes, bike tours, road trips - there are many ways to explore Rheinhessen on your own. Taking part in one of the many guided tours, workshops or tasting experiences offers added value. On the Rheinhessen experience page you can quickly get an overview. The 65 or so daily offers can be booked immediately with just a few clicks - sometimes one-off events, sometimes regular events. The division into the areas "Excursions and sports", "Culinary experiences" and "City, culture, lifestyle" makes the overview easier. Which Rheinhessen experiences can you book?
Excursions and sports: guided hikes, e-bike - alpacas, thriller and leaning tower
Combine a hike or a walk with a special experience different offers. Sometimes it's about experiencing wine and wine culture, sometimes it's about a murder mystery with an exciting ending. Special family tours lead to the world's most leaning tower in Gau-Weinheim, for example. Those who want to get around faster can opt for one of the e-bike offers.
LIVE EXAMPLE 1: Alpaca hike in Alzey-Weinheim
Mr. Pepper immediately takes the lead. He is one of four alpacas with whom we go on a hike. His three companions, also five years old, are called Habanero, Karl and Rudi. The first encounters between our small group and the gentle animals take place in the paddock. This is where winemaker Charlotte Meiser, the guide, provides initial information. The species, which originates from the South American Andes, likes clover and fresh grass as food. A tuft of grass makes it easy to lure them in and give them a first sniff. In the stable, we are allowed to put the halter over the nose and fasten it.
We lead the animals - actually they lead us - on a lead through the courtyard of the Poppenschänke, formerly a mill, out into the vineyards. Mr. Pepper & Co. set the pace: sometimes they stop to graze, then a faster trot follows. The group always stays together. Charlotte knows: "The alpacas have a beautiful character, they are peaceful and don't leave anyone behind." The alpacas radiate this serenity. They always bring a smile to our faces.
We walk past meadows and through rows of vines for a good 1.5 hours. We stop again and again. We can also taste the wine we have bought beforehand. We are partly on the signposted "coastal path". The stop at the natural monument "Die Trift" is fitting. The fossilized ground on the slope reminds us that a sea once surged there. Back at the starting point, we accompany the animals back to the barn - it's a little hard to say goodbye.
City, culture, lifestyle: Mainz, Alzey, Worms - cathedral and Gutenberg, photo walk and Mandala-DotArt
In the category "City, culture, lifestyle" the cities naturally come to the fore. The offer in Mainz is particularly diverse: a tour of the cathedral or "In the shadow of the cathedral" in the surrounding area; on the trail of Gutenberg; Best of Goldisch Meenz or Mainz with a View to lesser-known places - there are very different aspects to discover the city. How about a carnival walk, which focuses on the carnival side, or a winter walk in the cold season? For a more comprehensive experience, book one of the tours of all the main sights. The experience is often enriched with a tasting of good wine.
Alzey also offers the opportunity to explore the sights with an experienced guide. Would you like to slip into the role of a winegrower, carry the wine press and pick the grapes yourself? The wine experience hike "Wine growing yesterday and today" in Flörsheim-Dalsheim makes this possible.
Acrylic Pouring and Mandala DotArt in Mainz are all about artistic work. In the taster and intensive courses, participants create their own unique pictures with acrylic paints or design their own mandala stones - relaxation and creative time under guidance.
LIVE EXAMPLE 2: Photo walk in Mainz
The two-hour photo walk through Mainz provides really good tips for taking photos with your smartphone - even for us, although we're actually fit. At the meeting point, the JAoderWEIN store, we start with a welcome sparkling wine. We are then ready for the first, theoretical part. Professional photographer Marion Rockstroh-Kruft first equips "our toolbox" - she shows us previously unknown functions on our cell phones. She also has a few tricks up her sleeve. She explains these to everyone on their own device - whether Android or i-phone. Not an easy job, because every model is different.
We also find her explanations on spatial vision, image composition and the best lighting conditions helpful. Then it's off to practice: we practise changing the perspective on the ball court. We play with light and shadow on the standing and seated bronze figure of the mutant "guardian couple". The motif for trying out different compositions is the carnival fountain with its more than 200 figures on Schillerplatz. Marion again gives tips and feedback.
Everyone can live out their own creativity. Marion draws a comparison: what do wine and photography have in common? Both are ultimately a matter of taste ... and can be addictive. Yes, especially if you can get as much out of your smartphone as after the workshop.
Culinary experiences: Just Red or Tischlein deck Dich
As is to be expected for Rheinhessen, the culinary offers wine usually comes first. Wineries in Worms entice visitors with walking or Munkel wine tastings, while others combine the good wine with a herb hike followed by a 5-course herb menu. Olives, oleander, oregano is the name of the game at another winegrower. In Flörsheim-Dalsheim, the question "What does the Chardonnay do to the blue cheese?" is answered or it's "Just Red" when red wines are tasted.
JAoderWEIN in Mainz also focuses on special aspects of wine: "Sensory Tasting" concentrates on smells and aromas. Recognizing wine faults" deals with the negative influences on sensory perception. In Worms, the motto is "Tischlein deck Dich" (little table) with culinary experiences at five different tables in the middle of the vineyards. It is also possible to experience and enjoy wine in Bermersheim vor der Höhe. In Flörsheim-Dalsheim, the "Beyer-Bähr meets" series in the historic cow chapel combines wine with 4-course menus from various regional chefs.
